Newsletter 5 08

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Missions Banner Presbyterian Missionary Union & Venture Guild International

1650 Love Road, Grand Island, New York 14072 v Phone: 716-775-0442 v Fax: 716-775-3405 Email: [email protected] Web: www.presbyterianmissions.org

MAY 2008, #228 u “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples!” Psalm 96:3

News to Know

Building a New Cambodia While making myself a cup of coffee and contemplating my work here in Cambodia, I was surprised to see a long line of cement trucks waiting their turn to do a “pour” at a new private home on the street behind my apartment. When I first came to Phnom Penh, there were no cement trucks. Shanties were in this area, not mansions and foreign apartments. A new Cambodia is being built everywhere— from my former shanty town to a new 42 story “Gold Tower” for luxury downtown living. Although old buildings are coming down and the city is being rebuilt, not much is really changing. The poor are still poor. Shanties are common. Unemployment is still the norm. Prices for the basic necessities are skyrocketing. Every new building gets its own “Spirit House” in which the evil spirits can live and not bother the folks in the real house. And Christians are still few and far between. Even the “new” restrictions on

Christianity are really the old ones being enforced again. While there’s some disagreement on what the restrictions really mean, churches have stopped doing street evangelism and are restricting their religious activities to “registered” church properties. Groups are also finding it difficult to register “new” locations for their ministries. Some people have asked why any government would seek to restrict Christianity. They say that since Christianity is “good” for the country, society, and (Continued on page 2)

BP Presbyteries Host Summer Camps Bible Presbyterian Church camps are not only a tradition, but a haven of fellowship and fun for BP teens throughout the US. This summer, camps will be held in Florida, Ohio, and Montana. Each camp has different themes, speakers, and schedules. Read on for exciting opportunities for teens, and pass the word to those who might be interested! Northwest Camp: Montana The NW camp will be held at the rustic, beautiful Bitterroot Lake Lyons Camp in Kalispell, MT, from July 17-24, 2008. The theme this year is evangelism and the BP history of missions and evangelism. Speakers will include pastors from the NW Presbytery as well as Dr. Ed Oliver. The typical daily schedule includes three Bible studies, two game sessions, campfire devotional, and a voluntary time called Tabletalk when “any question a camper asks is a fair question.” Traditions of the camp include the Polar Bear Swim and cabin skits! Campers are eligible to come at age 12. Great Lakes Camp: Ohio The Great Lakes camp will be held from July 13-19, 2008 at Camp Otyokwah in Butler, OH. Bible studies include cabin devotions, a Bible class, and nightly chapel. Speakers this year include Pastors Backus, Miessler, and Robinson, and Patrick Hines. Competitions center on Bible memorization, skits, and team sports. Daily activities also include craft time and team meetings. A ropes course, (Continued on page 2)

• BP 72nd General Synod The BP Church in Edmonton, Alberta Canada will host this year’s synod from July 31— August 5, 2008. The theme this year is “Beholding God, Pursuing Godliness, Proclaiming Christ.” Information regarding registration can be found at the BP web site: www.bpc.org. • Quisbert Requests Prayer Recently, Pastor Quisbert and his wife, Gloria, traveled to the "El Alto city" (45 min. by bus) to meet with the new Bible study group. Eleven adults and two children attended. Pastor Quisbert is thankful for the answer of our Lord in blessing this effort. This group meets every Thursday at 4:30 PM. Please pray for this project. • Dr. Pine in Asia Dr. Pine will be returning from his ministry in Singapore and his visits with Mark in Cambodia and Miriam in her mission country on May 12. Please remember to pray for PMU’s missionaries in Asia. • Team Timothy Bolivia Please continue to pray for the Bolivia team. Their ministry quickly approaches and they are hard at work on their assignments and final paperwork. • India and Asia ministries will be reported in June Banner God willing, the June Banner will host an article on Drs. Pine and Backus’s trip to India this month, as well as Dr. Pine’s work in Asia. • Pray for support levels Please pray that God will raise up more faithful supporters for our missionaries and general fund. Banner Photo above: Florida summer youth camp.

Presbyterian Missionary Union is a non-profit missions agency associated with the Bible Presbyterian Church. Our purpose is to advance the cause of missions that are biblically based and practiced and to stand against any compromise of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. PMU is directed by a Council of Christian leaders who volunteer their time to guide the ministry. To learn more about missions opportunities through PMU, or about the BPC, please contact us. The Missions Banner is published ten times a year for interested individuals and churches. It seeks to promote the clear stand of the BPC by providing a biblical perspective on issues, fads, and theories in missions and church development. Our Editor is Len Pine, and our Publisher is Morris McDonald.

Third Family Bible Conference Held in Western Australia Bible-Presbyterian Church of Western Australia held its Third Family Bible Conference April 2125, 2008. About 110 people attended the Conference, which was held in the town of Mandurah, about one hour by car south of Perth. The main speaker for the Conference was Pastor John Barlow of Windabout Lakes Christian Church in Esperance, Western Australia. Other speakers were Rev Michael Patrick of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, Ed Paauwe, and Samuel Ho, the assistant pastor of BPCWA. The children's meetings were conducted by Mr Hai Seng Lim from Melbourne, Australia, and Dr Gabriel Lee of BPCWA, assisted by Lehia Paauwe and several Sunday School teachers. Here are two testimonies of a few of the conferees: "Thanks to the Bible Conference we had an opportunity to spend five days with God, thinking wholly about Him and thanking Him for all the blessings He has bestowed on us. Also, thanks to the Conference we have learned much more about our Lord Jesus Christ, and we feel much closer to Him now. The

messages from the four pastors have inspired us to put in more effort to get ever closer to Him each day and to live out our lives in His image. We have benefited most from the series of messages on 'Back to Basics.' Now we know how to go about reading the Bible!" “The theme for the 2008 Bible Conference was taken from 2 Corinthians 4:18 – “With Eternity’s Values in View.” This theme proved to be a timely reminder about how each of us should examine ourselves, so that we may live with Christian purpose. Amongst the many lessons learned and re-learned, one stands out: to be wary of indifference and apathy in our Christian walk. God is capable of using all people, so none of us have any excuse not to serve our Lord." The Bible Conference was a blessing. We praise and thank the Lord for His working in hearts and lives. One young man gave his life for full-time Christian service! “To God be the glory great things He has done.” Dr. Ed Paauwe

Cambodia, continued people, why try and stop it? Isn’t a population that loves and cares for their neighbor a good thing? Isn’t the Christian exposing sin and calling people to repent and behave a good thing? Aren’t lower crime rates good? Well, from the Christian perspective, yes, but from the unbeliever’s perspective, no. Everyone from the atheist to the false Christian knows the fear of God’s condemnation somewhere in his heart. Whether an unbeliever admits it or not, he knows he is also a sinner, and he knows the Christian, while still sinful, has been forgiven and is in God’s kingdom. Remember, there are only two kingdoms in the world. You either serve God as one of His children in the way prescribed by Him, or you are a servant of Satan and member of his kingdom. It’s perfectly natural for the citizens of Satan’s kingdom to “plot in vain” against God. (Read Psalm 2.) When considering the trials of the Christian’s labors in the world, we should never make the mistake of considering it from the perspective of man. If we do, nothing really

makes sense. We should remember that we are just servants of God, and when we serve Him we will find the world opposes Him by opposing us. Please be in prayer for Cambodia. ◊ For the restrictions on the faith here, that we might know how to serve God without unnecessarily breaking the laws of the land ◊ For the difficulties stemming from the “World Food Crisis” which has seen people going hungry here ◊ For my language studies ◊ For my preaching and teaching ◊ For my health ◊ For the hoops I must jump through to labor and live here God has been more gracious to me than I deserve, and I have peace in my service here. I pray God will be with you also. Rev. Mark Baldwin

BP Camp Fun (continued) climbing wall, swimming, hiking, archery, and the famous Blob fill free time! Traditions include the famous Polar Bear Swim and the Steeple Chase. Grades 4-12 are invited to join in the fun. More information is available on the camp website: www.bpcamp.org and Camp Otyokwah’s website: www.otyokwah.org. Florida Camp: Ocala, FL The Florida camp will meet from June 30-July 5, 2008, at Camp Sonlight in Ocala, FL. Speakers will include pastors from the presbytery among others. The theme this year is II Corinthians 5. Worship times include an emphasis on doctrine in the morning, a missions emphasis in the afternoon, and theme-based sermons in the evening. Campers enjoy various entertainments including sports, games, and swimming. Highlights of the week include a bonfire the last night of camp and an exciting game of capture the flag. Ages 6-18 are welcome to come as the camp has a family camp emphasis. If interested in attending one of these camps, please contact a church near you. A listing of BP churches can be found on our web site: www.bpc.org.